Bolster and standard construction



N. J. ELDRIDGE BOLSTER AND STANDARD CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 25. 1925 Sept. 22, 1925.. 1,554,909

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lNvENToRU, 1V. JEZdiii a 3 ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 22, 1925.

UNITED STATES NORMAN J. ELDRIDGE, OF GRAND ISLAND, NEBRASKA.

BOLSTEB AND STANDARD CONSTRUCTION.

P1 Application filed February 25, 1925. Serial No. 11,579.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NORMAN J. ELDRIDGE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Grand Island, in the county of Hall and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bolster and Standard Constructions, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in bolster and standard or stake constructions for wagons or like vehicles, and it consists in the combinations, constructions and arrangements herein described and claimed. 7

An object of the invention is the provision of a bolster and standard which is light in weight and at the same time extremely strong and durable and which may be made entirely of metal.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a bolster having a bearing surface of relatively great area for a bolster of a given size, the bearing surface being adapted to contact with a flat supporting surface so that the bolster can turn easily on the supporting surface.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a construction of the character described in which the standards can be interchanged and replaced if desired without replacement or change of the bolster proper.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved bolster and standard,

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical section through the bolster body, the standards being shown in side elevation,

Figure 3 is a tranverse vertical section along the line 3-3 of Figure 2, and

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical section along the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

The bolster body is a metal channel member having a horizontal web 1 and a pair of flanges 2, the web being uppermost. The bottom edges of the flanges of the bolster body are curved convexly from end to end substantially along the arc of a circle struck by a radius of relatively-great length, as best seen in Figure 2, although the bottom edges of the flanges 2 may mot be truly conrex item and is and in that 112 bat edges may be flattened intermediate their ends as indicated at 2*.

The bolster body is supported midway between its ends on a hearing or turn plate 3 which is oblong in cross sectional contour and is disposed with the major axis thereof extending in the direction of length of the bolster body. The minor axis of the bearadapted to fit snugly between the intermediate portions of the flanges of the bolster body. The height of the attaching portion 4 is sufficient to cause said attaching portion to contact at its upper end with the lower face of the web 1 of the bolster body when the slightly flattened intermediate portions 2 of the flanges of the bolster body rest on the bottoms of grooves which are formed in the upper side of the turn plate 3 and extend longitudinally of the turn plate along the lower ends of the vertical side faces of the attaching member 4. The end walls of the attaching member 4 are preferably upwardly and outwardly inclined from their lower ends as indicated at 4 in Figure l.

2, whereby the cross sectional area of the attaching member 4 increases from the lower end of the attaching member to its upper end. The attaching member 4 is secured rigidly to the flanges of the bolster body by rivets 6 or like fastening devices which extend transversely through the flanges 2 and the attaching member 4 adjacent to the end walls of the attaching member.

The web 1 is provided intermediate its length 'and'also intermediate its width with. a vertical opening 7 which is in register with a vertical opening 8 extending through the attaching member and through the turn plate 3. The openings 7 and 8 may be beveled at their opposite ends as indicated at 7 and 8 respectively. The openings 7 and -8 are :adaptedgfor the reception of the usual king pin, not shown, whereby the b ster can be eeea e on the beam of a V wagon or like support, not shown, so that the body can turn about the axis of the king pin. The bottom or bearing surface of the turn plate 3 is indicated at 3 and issubstantially flat. Since the minor axis of the'turn plate 3 is greater than the width of the bolster body, the turn plate will extend at its sides laterally of the opposite sides of the bolster body and the bolster body therefore will be turnably supported on a bearing surface of relatively great area and can turn with but very little friction and wear on its bearing surface. The upper faces of the laterally extending portions of the turn plate are convexly curved as clearly shown in the drawings.

The web 1 is formed with vertical openings 9 adjacent to but spaced from its opposite ends and located equidistant from the center of the vertical opening 7 Each of these openings 9 preferably is non-circular in cross section. A standard 10 is provided at each end of the bolster body. Each standard 10 is adapted to be projected from beneath the bolster body through one of the openings 9 until a shoulder 11 at the junction of the standard with an attaching member 12 with which the standard is integral is in abutting relationto the lower face of the web 1. The attaching member 12 for each standard 10 curves laterally from its juncture with the standard 10 and is adapted to fit snugly between the flanges 2 of the bolster body so that the bottom edge of the attaching member 12 is substantially flush with the bottom edges of the portions of the flanges 2 between which the attaching member 12 is disposed. The attaching member 12 is secured firmly to the bolster body by spaced rivets 18 or like fastening devices,

which extend transversely of the bolster body through the flanges 2 and attaching "members 12.

The standards 10 and the attaching members 12 with which they are integral are made of metal and the two standard and attaching member units of course are interchangeable.

Each standard 10 is provided with a plurality of vertically spaced transverse openings for the reception of pivot pins 14 which carry 'cle'vises 15 for cooperating with the standard to retain an auxiliary stake, not shown, on the adjacent end portion of the bolster body, the auxiliary stake of course beingadapted "to be pl'aced'on an end portion of the bolster body and extending between the clev'ises 15 and the adjacent end walls of the standard. Such auxiliary stake may taper from its upper to its lower end and theu'pper 'cl'evis' 1'5 on each standard may be larger'than the lower clevis on the standard to accommodate the downwardly tapering auxiliary stake.

From "the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof maybe readily understood. The bolster body, the turn plate on which the bolster body is supported, the standards, and the attaching members for the standards and for the turn plate may all be made of metal. The device therefore will be compact and light in weight but also extremely strong a'nd durable' 'and will not wear out quickly in service. The provision of the hereinbefore described turn plate of the bolster will assure stability when the bolster is attached to an underlying support by the usual king pin while at the same time the bolster can turn with but very little friction and wear.

Obviously, the invention is susceptible of embodiment'in forms other than that which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

and I therefore consider as my own all such modifications and adaptations thereof as fairly fall within the scope of the appended claims; I

I claim;

1. A bolster body comprising a metallic"- channel member arranged 'with the web thereof uppermost, and a metallic bearing member having an attaching portion extending from the upper side of the bearing member between the flanges of the channel 'member'midway of the length of the channel member the upper face of said attaching portion abutting the lower face of the web of'said channel member, said attaching portion being secured to the flanges of the chan-' nel member, said bearing member having a substantially flat lower surface and said bearing member, the attaching portion thereof and the web of the channel member being formedto 'provi'de a vertical opening for the reception of a king pin.

2. A bolster comprising a. channel 1nem-- the lower face of the web of said channel member, and means securing said attaching portion to the flanges of the channel member, said turn plate, the attaching portion thereof and the web of'the channel having vertical alined openings for the reception of a king pin.

'3. Abolster comprising a channel member having the web thereof uppermost, the

bottom edges of the flanges of the channel member being curved convexly substantially along the arc of a circle from end to end, the middle portions of said bottom edges of the flanges being slightly flattened, a turn plate having parallel grooves in its upper surface for the reception of the flattened bottom edge portions of the flanges of the channel member, said turn plate having an integral attaching portion merged into the turn plate between said grooves and extending upwardly between said flanges, the upper face of said attaching portion abutting the lower face of the web of said channel member, and means securing said attaching ortion to the flanges of the channel memer, said turn plate, the attaching portion thereof and the web of the channel having vertical alined openings for the reception of a king pin, said attaching portion having substantially vertical side walls and being of sufficient width to fit snugly between the flanges of the channel member.

4. A bolster comprising a channel member having the web thereof uppermost, the bottom edges of the flanges of the channel member being curved convexly substantially along the arc of a circle from end to end, the middle portions of said bottom edges of the flanges being slightly flattened, a turn plate having parallel grooves in its upper surface for the reception of the flattened bottom edge portions of the flanges of the channel member, said turn plate having an integral attaching portion merged into the turn plate between said grooves and extending upwardly between said flanges, the upper face of said attaching portion abutting the lower face of the web of said channel member, and means securing said attaching portion to the flanges of the channel member, said turn plate, the attaching portion thereof and the web of the channel having vertical alined openings for the reception of a king pin, said attaching portion having substantially vertical side walls and being of suflicientwidth to fit snugly between the flanges of the channel member, the ends walls of said attaching portion being inclined upwardly and outwardly from their lower to their upper ends.

5. In a bolster and standard construction, a bolster body comprising a channel member arranged with the web thereof uppermost, said channel member being formed with vertical openings in its web adjacent to opposite ends thereof, and standards adapted to be extended upwardly through said vertical openings, each of said standards having an attaching portion at its lower end adapted to be disposed between the flanges of the channel member and to be secured to said channel member, said attaching portion being curved to extend latlerally from its juncture with the standarc.

6. In a bolster and standard construction, a bolster body comprising a channel member arranged with the web thereof uppermost, a bearing member secured to the lower side of said channel member intermediate the ends of the channel member, said channel member being formed with vertical openings in its web adjacent to opposite ends thereof, and interchangeable standards adapted to be extended upwardly through said vertical openings, each of said standards having an attaching portion at its lower end adapted to be disposed between the flanges of the channel member and to be secured to said channel member, said attaching portion being curved to extend laterally from its junction with the standard and said standard and its attaching portion being formed to provide a shoulder at the lower end of the standard for abutting the underface of the web of the channel member when said standard has been extended upwardly through one of the openings in said web. 7. In a bolster and standard construction, a bolster body comprising a channel member arranged with the web thereof uppermost, said channel member being formed with vertical openings in its web adjacent to opposite ends thereof, and standards adapted to be extended upwardly through said vertical openings, each of said standards having an attaching portion at its lower end adapted to be disposed between the flanges of the channel member and to be secured to said channel member, said standard and its attaching portion being formed to produce a shoulder at the lower end of the standard abutting the underface of the web of the channel member.

NORMAN J. ELDRIDGE 

